PTXC Weekend Wrap (Week 4)

Dan Beck


Jim Kelly Invitational - Meet Recap

While the weekend was light on meets, a number of top District 1 teams flocked to Hatboro-Horsham for the 2nd annual Jim Kelly Invitational and we saw some great performances put down. Here's what caught our eyes:

GIRLS' RECAP

Cheltenham's Chanel Brissett may be better known as a hurdler now, but the Olympic Trials qualifier reminded us all that she is still one of the state's best in her first love: the sprints. Brissett claimed a double victory on the day, winning the 100 and 200 meters. Facing a headwind in both, Brissett still clocked a PA#1 12.04 in the 100 meters and then returned to go 25.25 in the 200 meters. She beat out Girard College standout Thelma Davies in a great matchup in the 200 meters.

Watch that 200 fast heat below:


Upper Dublin's Madison Langley-Walker had a great day in the hurdles. Langley-Walker picked up a pair of wins on the day, focusing on the hurdles without the jumps on Saturday. The junior went a PA#1 43.45 in the 300 hurdles and then returned to go __ in the 100 hurdles. Watch her win in the 300 hurdles at the top of the page.

North Penn took down Cheltenham in the team competition. The two teams went head-to-head on a number of occasions, but in the end, it was the Lady Knights who prevailed in the overall standings.

North Penn ran a PA#1 in the 4x800 early in the meet, clocking a 9:30.57 for the win over second place Upper Merion and Lake Lehman. Uche Nwogwugwu, who was on that 4x8, returned to drop a PA#1 54.87 in the 400 meters in a great race over Cheltenham's Bria Barnes, who ran a PA#2 55.14.


In the 1600 meters, North Penn's Ariana Gardizy ran 5:04.35 (coming off a DMR leg earlier in the day) for the win in a dramatic final lap to beat out Hatboro-Horsham's Miranda Royds (5:06.46) and Cheltenham's MaryGrace Rittler (5:06.65). Then in the 800 meters, North Penn's Mikaela Vlasic (the anchor on the winning 4x8), went PA#3 in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.24 for the win. Cheltenham's Alexis Crosby looked impressive taking second in 2:17.66.

At the end of the meet North Penn and Cheltenham met in the 4x400 meter relay. Cheltenham took the win there, running a PA#1 3:49.56. North Penn took second in 3:56.03. The Lady Knights also added wins from Olivia Dyer in the 3200 meters, along with relay victories in the 4x100 and shuttle hurdle relay. Watch an interview with North Penn's Nwogwugwu and Vlasic after the meet:

Central Bucks West ran 12:41.94 to win the DMR, behind a strong anchor leg from Megan Kolbe.

Twin Valley's Kayla Gillen just keeps getting better. The sophomore claimed the win and a PR to boot in the high jump. Gillen cleared 5-6, which CB South's Valerie Przekop cleared as well, but Gillen took the win on jumps. This ties her and Przekop atop the state rankings with three others at the height.

Upper Darby's Michelle Brown-Jones jumped 17-3 to win the long jump, while her teammate Sugar Henry jumped 36-3.5 to win the triple jump. In the pole vault, Wissahickon's Cala Lejman cleared 11-6 for the win.

In the discus, Upper Dublin's Jennifer McAneney won with a throw of 122-4. In the shot put, Abington's Sianni McLeod was first with a throw of 39-1.5. North Penn's Della Matthew threw 126-0 to win the javelin.


BOYS' RECAP

The Council Rock North boys showed why they were XC state champs, taking home a dominating win in the DMR and running a PA#1 and US#28 in the event. They were over 44 seconds ahead of second place. North's Ethan Koza took home the win in the 1600 meters, with a monster kick. Koza went from seventh to first in the final lap and won in a time of 4:29.40.


Hatboro-Horsham's Matthew Lenahan showed his strength in the hurdles over the weekend. The junior tied the state led in the 300 meter hurdles, clocking a time of 39.42. That ties him with Souderton's Stephen Scott, who has been atop the leaderboard since Week 1. We spoke with Lenahan after the meet:


Pennridge's Matt Eissler held off a strong field for the win in the 800 meters. Eissler, a sophomore, ran 1:57.19. Abington's Cameron Mitchell and CR South's Evan Kutney also both dipped under 1:58.

In the 200 meters, CB West's Joe Manetta won in a time of 22.33, beating out CR North's Mike Welde, who was part of the winning DMR earlier in the day. CB West got another win from Brian Mass, who took home first in a good dual in the 3200 meters. Mass clocked a time of 9:42 to hold off CB East's William Schulz.

In the 400 meters, Upper Dublin's Michael Henning ran a great race to win in 49.40, which puts him at PA#2. CB South's Michael Cannon Jr. won the 100 meters in 11.37, narrowly edging out North Penn's Kasseem Cartwright. Upper Moreland took home the win in the 4x100 meter relay in a time of 44.03. Wissahickon's Ahmir Johnson ran 15.13 to win the 110 meter hurdles.

Watch Henning's PA#2 in the 400 meters:

Abington closed out the meet with a win in the 4x400 meter relay in a time of 3:23.51.

The current PA#1 in the pole vault, Nick Marino of Hatboro-Horsham returned to the runway just two days after setting a new PR. Marino, at the Knight Invitational, cleared 16-1. On Saturday at his home invite, Marino jumped 15-0 to take another win on the season.

Upper Dublin's Brian Kaufmann jumped 22-3 to win the long jump, while Pennridge's Matt Ludlow jumped 42-8.75 for the win in the triple jump. William Tennent's Ryan Thomas cleared 6-2 to win the high jump.

Bensalem's Yobani Moreno had a good day in the throws. The junior threw 153-6 in the discus and 52-7.75 in the shot put for a pair of wins.